In America this week is all about turkeys, backyard family Nerf football, and giving thanks. It is good and important work to appreciate all that we have been given and all our blessed relationships. There should be trumpets instead of shrill ads.

The church in its peculiar way of celebrating holy days out of step with the culture’s holidays calls for trumpets to celebrate that Jesus is King, that Jesus was King, and that Jesus will be King. On Easter morning trumpets proclaimed the good news that Jesus is risen from the dead and all that is death is now dead. On Christ the King Sunday—today! - trumpets anticipate the greatest trumpet call of all which will echo across the seas and bounce off the stars.

How do you see Jesus?

Is your Jesus a What-A-Friend-We-Have-in-Jesus kind of Jesus? If so, well and good. He is indeed the True Friend who is there past the strength and tenacity of all earthly friends.

Is your Jesus the Great Physician? If so, well and good. He is indeed the Healer who heals more than the body, more than the soul, all the way down to the innermost spirit.

Is your Jesus poor, naked, hungry, thirsty, sick and in prison? If so, well and good. He indeed is the Crucified Christ, continually being crucified until suffering, sorrow, and sickness are no more.

Is your Jesus Christ the King? If so, well and good. Look behind you. He stands there, high as a mountain, head and hair white as white wool, eyes a flame of fire, feet glowing like burnished bronze, voice like a waterfall, face bright as noonday sun.

Today there should be trumpets.

A month from now soft guitars hush the feverish world on a silent and holy night. All is calm. All is bright candlelight glowing on faces pondering mystery and majesty.

In between then and now the prophet will thunder his warning cry, “Change. Change yourself. Change your world. Christ is coming.” Thin and meager the voice will sound, for an even more demanding voice screams across the land, “Buy. Buy for yourself. Buy for your world. Christmas is coming.”

Today the trumpet proclaims:

Jesus the Crucified Christ comes.

Jesus the Risen Christ comes.

Jesus Christ the King comes.

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth…”I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”